Cathaoirleach, Committee members, thank you for the invitation to appear before the Committee today. I understand that the Committee wishes to discuss “Urban and Sustainable Transport”. To assist me in dealing with questions that may arise during the session, I amjoined by Jeremy Ryan, Director of Public Transport Services.
Strategic Framework for Urban Transport
Transport investment and provision in the city metropolitan areas across Ireland is now guided by published transport strategies. In the case of the Dublin region, the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042 was formally adopted as a statutory transport plan for the region in early 2023. It provides a framework for the development of transport infrastructure and the delivery of transport services across the region over a two-decade period, with provision for review and updating every six years.
Transport Strategies in Other Metropolitan Areas
While the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy was developed as a statutory plan under specific legislation, similar transport strategies have been developed on a non-statutory basis in other cities. Working in partnership with the relevant local authorities, transport strategies have been published for the metropolitan areas of Galway, Cork, Limerick/Shannon and Waterford. The transport strategy for Galway was completed in 2016, the Cork strategy in 2020, the Limerick/Shannon Strategy in 2022 and the Waterford strategy in 2022. Each of these transport strategies sets out the key transport projects and the relevant services that are required to be delivered to provide for the growth in travel demand by sustainable modes. They cover all modes of land transport – walking, cycling, bus, light rail, heavy rail, roads and freight – and consider accessibility requirements, integration with planning policies and climate action objectives.
Public Transport Growth and Performance
Public transport use continues to grow at exceptional levels. Overall, passenger numbers on contracted bus and rail services in 2024 were 32 million higher compared to 2023, an increase of 10.6%. Passenger numbers increased on all service types last year, from rural transport to the urban rail services, with the largest increases evident across the bus network in Dublin. Unlike many other international jurisdictions, overall public transport passenger numbers in Ireland now significantly exceed the 2019 pre-pandemic levels, with 344 million passengers carried on State provided services last year compared to 295 million in 2019. Welcome as these passenger numbers are, this level of year-on-year increase does bring its own challenges in being agile enough to respond to increased capacity needs in a near-full employment environment where specific resource types are in short supply.
This concludes my opening remarks, and I welcome any questions that members of theCommittee may have.